Federal agents and Jacksonville police are turning up the pressure in the unsolved killing of Jenna Franks, a 34-year-old transgender woman whose body was found near Ellis Boulevard and White Street in Jacksonville, North Carolina, on February 24, 2021. The case remains open, is being investigated as a possible hate crime, and is back in the spotlight with new video material from investigators and a renewed reward offer meant to shake loose tips from the community. Friends and local advocates say the latest appeal only underlines long-standing safety concerns for transgender residents in the region.
In a short video released this week, agents with FBI Charlotte say they have collected significant evidence yet are still missing the key detail that would identify who killed Franks, and they reiterate a reward of up to $10,000. The bureau also pushed the clip and a matching message on X. Jacksonville police say they are working the investigation alongside the FBI and are promoting the same phone and email contacts for tips. Investigators note they are especially interested in hearing from people who live, work or previously spent time in the area where Franks was found.
What investigators say
"Jenna was a beloved member of the LGBTQ+IA community," an investigator says in the video shared by FBI Charlotte. The clip notes that evidence suggests Franks likely knew the person or people who harmed her. Jacksonville Detective Scott Eichelberger has told local reporters that detectives have chased dozens of leads and that the investigation is very much active, not shelved. Authorities have not announced any arrests and say their interviews largely focus on people familiar with the bike-trail corridor where Franks' body was discovered. The video and related posts list phone numbers and email addresses where tips can be submitted.
Autopsy, reward and leads
An autopsy released in 2021 found that Franks suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck and lower extremities, according to local reporting. Early in the case, the FBI put up a reward, and local outlets later reported that police and community fundraisers had, at various points, increased the combined total to higher amounts, with one outlet reporting that the known combined reward reached $25,000 in 2024. Investigators say evidence gathered from the scene has produced leads but still not the suspect, and they ask anyone calling in to reference case number 21-00540. People with information are urged to contact the tip lines listed in the FBI posting or reach out to local Crime Stoppers.
Community reaction and memory
Friends of Franks and the Onslow County LGBTQ+ Community Center have continued to mourn her loss and have pushed for accurate, respectful treatment of her identity and life in public discussions. Advocacy groups, including GLAAD, criticized early coverage that deadnamed and misgendered Franks and called on both media outlets and law enforcement to consistently use her chosen name. Community leaders and family members have also worked to raise money for transitional housing and related services in her name, efforts that local outlets have described as part of a broader conversation about homelessness and the heightened vulnerability of transgender people. Advocates say those projects are one more reminder of why renewed attention to the case matters: it may encourage witnesses who have stayed quiet to finally come forward.
Hate-crime investigation
Because the killing may have involved a bias motive, federal agents are treating it as a potential hate crime, which can bring federal civil rights statutes into play. The Department of Justice notes that federal hate-crime law, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, covers violence motivated by gender identity and can allow federal prosecution when evidence supports bias-driven charges. Any decision about federal charges would depend on the evidence and a prosecutorial review that follows local and federal investigative work. For more on how federal hate-crime cases are handled, see the Justice Department.
Anyone with information is asked to call FBI Charlotte at 704-672-6100, contact Jacksonville Police Detective Scott Eichelberger at 910-938-6440 ([email protected]), or reach Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3273. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Jacksonville’s Text‑A‑Tip program by texting TIP4CSJAX to 274637; investigators ask callers and texters to reference case 21-00540. Authorities say even a small detail, such as a time, a car or a name, could be the clue that brings answers to Franks’s family and to the wider community.
